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Microsoft said a server-side Bing update intended to improve search performance caused Start Menu search failures for a small number of Windows 11 23H2 devices, leaving some users with blank search panels or queries that would not return results. The issue was tracked as WI1273488 and was acknowledged on the Windows Release Health dashboard after users began reporting problems.
The company resolved the disruption by rolling back the faulty server-side change, meaning affected systems did not require a separate software update. Microsoft said the fix should reach impacted devices automatically, but systems must be connected to the internet and cannot have Web Search disabled through Group Policy to receive it. The incident also renewed attention on broader Start Menu reliability problems in Windows 11, including a separate unresolved bug tied to cumulative updates that has caused crashes in the Start Menu, File Explorer, and other shell components due to XAML package registration failures.
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Microsoft mitigated the Windows 11 23H2 Start Menu search problem by rolling back the faulty server-side Bing update. The company said affected devices would recover automatically once the fix propagated, provided they were online and Web Search was not disabled by Group Policy.
A server-side Bing update intended to improve search performance began causing Start Menu search failures for a small number of Windows 11 23H2 users, producing blank search panels or failed queries. Microsoft tracked the issue as WI1273488.
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Microsoft reported **over 1 billion monthly active Windows 11 users**, but user sentiment remains negative, with prominent complaints focused on **buggy updates**, perceived reliability regressions, and unwanted feature changes (including AI-related additions). Microsoft leadership publicly acknowledged the feedback and said the company will prioritize **performance, reliability, and overall user experience** improvements to rebuild trust. Microsoft also released the **KB5074105** optional *non-security* preview cumulative update for Windows 11 (24H2/25H2), positioned as an end-of-month quality update ahead of the next Patch Tuesday. KB5074105 includes dozens of changes and targets operational issues including **boot problems** (e.g., startup hangs when Windows Boot Manager debugging is enabled and iSCSI boot failures with `Inaccessible Boot Device`), **sign-in issues** (including `Explorer.exe` hanging on first login under certain startup-app configurations), and **activation/license migration failures** during upgrades when devices cannot register with the Windows Activation server; the update is available via Windows Update or manual download from the Microsoft Update Catalog.
Jun 29, 2026
Microsoft has confirmed three known issues affecting **Windows 11 26H2**, which shares its servicing branch with 25H2 and 24H2. A September update can break USB Audio Class 1.0 devices, removing audio input and output and potentially freezing or crashing Sound settings. Enterprise devices using Active Directory and Credential Guard can also fail to sign in when Machine Identity Isolation causes machine accounts to lose their secure channel. A separate desktop-loading issue, first linked to the August non-security preview update `KB5120998`, can leave some users at a black screen after sign-in because the desktop session does not automatically load. The issue particularly affects Azure Virtual Desktop hosts using FSLogix profiles and may generate Windows Explorer crashes in the Application event log; Windows Server is not affected. Microsoft has provided Known Issue Rollback Group Policy packages for affected enterprise versions, while users can manually start `explorer.exe` through Task Manager; it has marked this issue mitigated and is developing a permanent update.
Oct 2, 2026
Microsoft released the mandatory Windows 11 cumulative update **KB5101650** for versions **25H2** and **24H2**, alongside **KB5099414** for **23H2**, as part of its latest Patch Tuesday rollout. The update advances Windows 11 builds to **26200.8875** and **26100.8875** for 25H2 and 24H2 and includes fixes for **571 vulnerabilities**, with security-critical items such as continued **Secure Boot** certificate deployment delivered in the normal rollout phase. Microsoft said 25H2 and 24H2 receive the same package because both are based on 24H2, and no new known issues were acknowledged for the release. Beyond security fixes, KB5101650 adds and expands several user-facing and reliability improvements, including broader availability of **Point-in-time restore**, the new accessibility feature **Screen Tint**, quieter **Widgets**, and more flexible update pausing. Microsoft also addressed Bluetooth pairing and audio issues, including improvements for AirPods and call handling, while fixing problems affecting **File Explorer** performance, `explorer.exe` stability, Recycle Bin file naming, taskbar badges, networking in virtualized environments, **WSL** VPN connectivity, printing, **BITS** shutdown delays, and GIF support in the emoji panel after a switch from Tenor to **GIPHY**. The update is being distributed automatically through Windows Update and is also available as an offline `.msu` installer through the Microsoft Update Catalog.
Jul 17, 2026